Stock Market & Financial Investment News

Pfizer says possible offer for AstraZeneca represents compelling holder valuePfizer (PFE) is publishing a presentation to the shareholders of AstraZeneca (AZN) on the merits of a combination of the two companies. As indicated in its announcements on April 28 and May 2, Pfizer wishes to enter into discussions with AstraZeneca regarding a potential combination of the two companies and remains disappointed at the lack of engagement by the AstraZeneca board. Pfizer believes there is compelling rationale for a combination and if AstraZeneca engages in conversations to provide Pfizer with a better understanding of its business and its prospects it may lead to a transaction that AstraZeneca can recommend. Pfizer continues to believe that engagement by the AstraZeneca board is in the best interest of all stakeholders of both companies.

Charles River, AstraZeneca renew strategic partnership agreementCharles River Laboratories International (CRL) announced that it has extended its initial three-year partnership with AstraZeneca (AZN) for an additional five-year period. Under the agreement, which extends into 2020, Charles River retains its position as AstraZeneca’s preferred strategic partner for outsourced regulated safety assessment and development DMPK.

Roche submits filing to FDA for companion diagnostic for NSCLC drug therapy Roche announced it has submitted the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 for Premarket Approval, or PMA, to the FDA, as a companion diagnostic test for AZD9291, an AstraZeneca (AZN) investigational therapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients with an acquired resistant mutation. Patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have adenocarcinoma with tumor containing an EGFR sensitizing mutation show significant benefit from currently available EGFR TKI therapies. However, approximately two-thirds of these patients will relapse and develop drug resistance. In many cases, this resistance is caused by an acquired mutation called T790M. The cobas EGFR v2 test can aid clinicians to appropriately select NSCLC patients who have acquired the T790M mutation and are most likely to benefit from AstraZeneca's novel therapy.

On The Fly: Top stock stories at middayStocks on Wall Street began the session in positive territory but turned mixed a short time after the open. The averages gathered themselves again and began an upward drift about an hour into trading, leaving markets near session highs around noon as stocks try to break their string of five consecutive lower closes. ECONOMIC EVENTS: In the U.S., the Case Shiller 20-city home price index rose 1.1% in May to 179.03, missing a forecast for it to rise 1.7% to 180.2. Markit's services PMI for July rose to 55.2, above the expected 55.0 reading. The Richmond Fed factory index rose to 13.0 in July from an upwardly revised 7 in June. Consumer confidence fell to 90.9 in July, down from a revised 99.8 figure for last month and below the expected reading of 100. In China, the Shanghai composite index closed down 1.7%, but only after a volatile session that saw it down as much as 5.1% and up about 1% at different points in the trading day. In Europe, U.K. GDP growth in the second quarter came in at 0.7%, matching the consensus expectation. COMPANY NEWS: Earnings season continued in earnest with UPS (UPS), Ford (F), Pfizer (PFE) and Merck (MRK) each reporting better than expected quarterly profits. UPS, which said its quarterly results gave it confidence in achieving the upper end of its earnings guidance range for the fiscal year, rose more than 5%. Pfizer and Merck each raised their fiscal year earnings guidance ranges, but Pfizer advanced 1.7% following its report while Merck slid nearly 0.5%. Ford, meanwhile, gained 1.8% after backing its fiscal year pre-tax profit view and repeating that it still expects the second half of the year to be stronger than the first half. MAJOR MOVERS: Among the notable gainers was Supervalu (SVU), which jumped 19% after the company reported better than expected first quarter results and also announced that it is exploring a separation of its Save-A-Lot business into a stand-alone, publicly traded company. Also higher was GrubHub (GRUB), which gained over 5% after reporting better than expect top and bottom line results in its second quarter and issuing 2015 guidance that analysts at Stifel said "appears conservative." Among the noteworthy losers was Immunomedics (IMMU), which tumbled 34% after the company's partner, UCB, announced that two Phase 3 clinical studies for epratuzumab in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus did not meet their primary clinical efficacy endpoints in either dose in both studies. Also lower following its earnings reports was Baidu (BIDU), which fell 16.5% and was downgraded by at least four research firms. INDEXES: Near midday, the Dow was up 136.13, or 0.78%, to 17,576.72, the Nasdaq was up 36.37, or 0.72%, to 5,076.14, and the S&P 500 was up 19.42, or 0.94%, to 2,087.06.

Allergan CEO pursuing 'transformational deals,' FT saysIn a Financial Times interview following the sale of its generics unit to Teva (TEVA), Allergan's (AGN) CEO Brent Saunders stated, "We’re going to contemplate transformational deals... We couldn’t before because of our capital structure and debt, but now we can." When asked about the timing of a potential deal, Saunders remarked, "We’re not going to plod along," and when asked about a hypothetical takeover by Pfizer (PFE), the CEO commented, "I spend zero time thinking about Pfizer and I am not doing anything to make us more or less attractive to them." Reference Link

Genzyme acquires Caprelsa from AstraZeneca for $300MGenzyme, a Sanofi (SNY) company, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with AstraZeneca (AZN) to acquire Caprelsa, a rare disease therapy, indicated for the treatment of symptomatic or progressive medullary thyroid carcinoma in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease. Caprelsa is an oral kinase inhibitor treatment and is currently available in 28 countries. Caprelsa is in Phase III development for differentiated thyroid carcinoma, with the study expected to finish in the second half of 2015. Under the terms of the agreement, Genzyme will pay AstraZeneca up to $300M, including an upfront payment of $165M to acquire the global rights to sell and further develop Caprelsa, and further development and sales milestone payments of up to $135M. The transaction does not include the transfer of any AstraZeneca employees or facilities.

Piper cuts Array target by only 50c after failed trialPiper Jaffray analyst Edward Tenthoff says selumetinib for Uveal Melanoma is a small indication and represented only a small part of his valuation for Array BioPharma (ARRY). As such, after partner AstraZeneca (AZN) announced that selumetinib failed in the Phase III trial, the analyst cut his price target for Array by only 50c to $14.50. The primary drivers for Array remain binimetinib and encorafenib in NRAS and BRAF melanoma and low-grade serous ovarian cancer, the analyst tells investors in a research note. He keeps an Overweight rating on the stock.

AstraZeneca says Phase 3 study of selumetinib did not meet primary endpoint AstraZeneca (AZN) announced that the Phase 3 SUMIT study of selumetinib in combination with dacarbazine for the treatment of patients with metastatic uveal melanoma did not meet its primary endpoint of progression free survival. This combination therapy showed an adverse event profile generally consistent with current knowledge of the safety profiles of dacarbazine and selumetinib. A full evaluation of the data is ongoing. Selumetinib is a MEK inhibitor in late-stage development, with a primary Phase 3 program in second-line KRAS-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer in combination with docetaxel. Selumetinib is also being investigated in a Phase 3 study in differentiated thyroid cancer and in a Phase 2 registration study in patients with neurofibromatosis Type 1. Selumetinib is an oral small molecule MEK inhibitor invented by Array BioPharma (ARRY) and licensed to AstraZeneca in 2003.

Pfizer launches Caltrate Bone & Joint Health supplementPfizer Consumer Healthcare announced the launch of Caltrate Bone & Joint Health, a 3-in-1, triple action product that delivers UC-II, an exclusive form of collagen, to support healthy cartilage and promote joint flexibility, calcium and vitamin D3, to nourish strong and healthy bones, and vitamin C and minerals to support collagen production for healthy bones and skin.